A bowhunter who was savagely attacked by a grizzly bear before being shot dead has survived the surprise attack.
The man and his friend were hunting elk near Henrys Lake in Island Park, Idaholocated approximately 15 miles west of Yellowstone National Park, on Sunday when they were attacked by an adult male grizzly bear.
One of the hunters was ‘knocked down and bitten by the bear’ during the encounter, according to the Idaho Fishing and Hunting.
Officials said the pair were able to reach their guns and shoot the animal, “deterring the attack and killing the bear.”
They then called 911 and the injured elk hunter was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. His current condition is unknown.
A moose hunter who was savagely attacked by a grizzly bear in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest on Sunday before being shot dead survived the surprise attack (file photo)
The man and his friend were hunting elk near Henrys Lake in Island Park, Idaho, located about 15 miles west of Yellowstone National Park, on Sunday when they were attacked by an adult male grizzly bear. One of the hunters was “taken down and bitten by the bear” during the encounter.
The duo were hunting in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Divide Creek Road on Sunday when the bear attacked them from a “very close distance.”
The Department of Fish and Game, along with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Caribou-Targhee National Forest and Emergency Medical Service crews, responded to the scene.
After a thorough investigation, conservation officials determined that the hunters acted in self-defense when they shot the grizzly bear. The species is protected by state and federal law.
“I am extremely grateful that both individuals survived this encounter,” Regional Fish and Game Supervisor Matt Pieron said in a news release Monday.
“I had the opportunity to speak with the injured hunter and his family and they are truly wonderful people. I wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries and the trauma these two hunters suffered.”
The duo was hunting in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Divide Creek Road on Sunday when the bear attacked them from a “very close distance.” After a thorough investigation, conservation officers determined the hunters acted in self-defense when they shot the grizzly bear, a federally protected species. (Caribou-Targhee National Forest file photo)
Federal law makes it illegal to kill a grizzly bear unless one does so in a self-defense situation, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Brown bears in the lower 48 states are currently protected as endangered species. It is illegal to harm, harass or kill these bears except in cases of self-defense or defense of others,” a US official told the BBC. ABC News.
‘Grizzly bear conservation is complex and is only possible through a variety of partnerships with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, state wildlife agencies, Native American tribes, federal agencies, universities, and other organizations.’
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